On to Ukraine
Q: Is it true Poroshenko said Putin could "take Donbas?"
Putin: No, this never happened. But Kyiv isn't doing anything to force Minsk agreements. Donbas is under a "blockade." Whether the people who have taken up arms are right and wrong is a different question -- "I have my own opinions about that."
"You can say that the Ukrainian leadership cuts off Donbas with their own hands."
Q: How can you work with Kyiv if you can't trust them
Putin: You can't choose your partners
Q: Thousands have died at the hands of Poroshenko. Do you feel uncomfortable working with him?
Putin: No, but there will be consequences. Poroshenko had a chance to use peaceful methods to resolve issues, but Kyiv is resuming hostilities nonetheless. The situation has now hit a dead end, but there is still a way out: Abide by Minsk agreements, constitutional reforms, and address social issues. We have no plans to interfere, but we can express our opinion.
Q: Why does Russia offer gas discounts, offer coal, etc. and in response we get this?
Putin: The political situation in a country can change, but the "people will still be there and this is a brotherly nation to us...this is the same nation, ethnically." Our situation isn't good, but theirs is much worse.
Q: The SBU keeps framing people and [former Party of Regions members] are being killed. How can we normalize the relationship with Ukraine under these conditions?
Putin: Today, Russia doesn't expect anything from Kyiv except for one thing: "Treat us as equal partners in every way." They have to respect the rights of people who consider themselves Russians regardless of what their passport says. That's true for any country.
Putin: There are no Russian troops in Ukraine
Opposition member Irina Khakamada asks Putin about Nemtsov murder and Russian participation in Ukraine conflict. She also asks whether Navalny will be able to run.
Putin on opposition in government: It's one thing to be in the opposition and criticize everything, this brings you out in the open.
Putin on Nemtsov: One day after this happened FSB and police investigators knew the name of the perpetrators. The only question we had was how to arrest them. Whether they will find the mastermind, I don't know.
Putin on troops: "I can tell you very clearly, there are no Russian troops in Ukraine."
Q: Why has Russian foreign policy failed in Ukraine.
Putin: It's not our failure it's the failure of Ukraine's domestic policy.
Putin: There was no alienation of Ukraine. It's a sovereign country and you should respect that. We made the decision in the 1990s to liberate them, now we have to respect their decisions.
Putin on surrounding countries with large ethnic-Russian populations:
Putin: We don't care if a Russian citizen lives here on this territory or across the border. If their rights are not infringed upon then we don't care. It's not that we want to keep those countries in our sphere of influence, it's a "natural integration process." When we do the same thing as others in Canada and Europe they say "we're rebuilding an empire...No"
Moving on to Ukrainian refugees in Russia:
Putin on status of "republics": Donbas people will decide
Question from a Donestsk resident, currently in Russia: What are the prospects of being separated from Kyiv?
Putin: First of all, we need to get life back to normal in these territories that you call the republics. Of course, it's the people of Donbas who have the ultimate right to decide. It will depend on the flexibility and wisdom of the Ukrainian leadership."
Konstantin Remchukov from Nezavisimaya Gazeta:
I'm one of those people who believes in positive relations with the West. It seems the more you hate something else, the more you love your motherland. What are the conditions for you to normalize relations with the West and how will the government tackle radical nationalism in Russia?
Putin: I wouldn't compare xenophobia with patriotism. We will always fight nationalism.
To normalize relations, the first step is to respect Russia. We are ready for cooperation and we will continue to cooperate with whoever wants to do business with us.